How to Alleviate Stress During Exams

21 May, 2018

Exam Stress-Busting

With exam season now upon us, we look at ways to help the everyone cope during this stressful period.

From the students who are busy frantically revising, to the worried parents and even the siblings giving their exam-sitting relatives a wide berth, these months can be testing for even the most cucumber-cool amongst us. Here, we have put together a guide to help make it a breeze…

Tips for Students

Set yourself a revision timetable. Although this seems like a bit of a drag, setting a timetable enables you to plan your study time, and use it to maximum effect. Make sure you allow time for breaks too, as you don’t want to burn out! And make sure you don’t panic! If you panic, your revision will not go to plan. If there is a topic you are really struggling with, set aside more revision time.

Also make sure that you schedule in time to do things that you enjoy, such as sports, spending time with your friends and just general downtime. If you don’t find a balance between work and play, you will find revision becomes much harder.

Set aside times to revise with your friends, particularly if there are some subjects you are struggling with. They might have different strategies to help you with your revision, and vice versa. Again, perhaps there is something you are finding hard to understand which they can explain to you, and you may find that you can help them too. Discussing different topics will help you remember bits too!

Make sure you revise at a desk, away from any distractions. Although it’s very tempting to set up revision camp in the comfort of your bed, you will most likely find it harder to concentrate.

Make sure you eat and drink properly and get enough rest. Eating the right, nutritious foods will help your brain to concentrate; and don’t forget to eat breakfast – even if you don’t feel like it. Not getting enough sleep will make it harder for you to concentrate, so set aside proper time to rest, and aim for between 7 and 9 hours sleep a night.

Tips for Parents

As a parent, it can be easy to be too pushy with our children, especially during exam time. Instead of nagging them about revision, help them! Work with them on their revision timetable, and set up a designated area for them to study. You can also provide them with lots of extra revision materials, such as index cards to jot things down on, and highlighters.

Offer to help them with your revision. Reading back notes to them or testing them on the materials they have already learnt, can prove invaluable to them.

Allow them to have friends over, or to visit friends houses, to revise together. They will be able to help each other!

Make sure you have plenty of healthy, nutritious snacks in the house for them to help themselves to. Also make sure you create healthy, body-fuelling meals for them, especially on exam days!

Although there may be an underlying tension within the home as emotions are fraught, try to keep the atmosphere calm – it is far easier to revise in a quiet, calm area.

Try to encourage them to get an early night – staying up too late the night before an exam will only make them more tired, stressed and irritable.

Plan an end of exam celebration so they have something to look forward to – perhaps a day out at their favourite attraction, a meal out with family and friends, or maybe even a break away!